Book 10: Chapter 10: Uncertainties
“So, I didn’t kill them,” said Sen as he eyed the spirit beasts.
He’d drawn Falling Leaf away from the small group of potential enemies and put up a wind barrier to make sure their voices didn’t carry. Unfortunately, that did nothing to stop the spirit beasts from staring at them. Well, most of them were staring. The wolves didn’t dare look at him for longer than it took to take a flickering glance. The others, though, wore expressions of apprehension and fear. He didn’t know that they were wrong to wear those expressions. Depending on what Falling Leaf had to say, Sen might well end up killing all of them as a precaution. Part of him felt like he should have done so already.
He wasn’t quite angry enough or callous enough to kill them solely for the sin of being spirit beasts—not yet, anyway—but he genuinely thought they posed too much of a risk to allow anywhere near the town. He felt Falling Leaf studying his face. When she frowned at what she saw, he returned his full attention to her.
“What?” he asked.
“You would prefer they were dead,” she stated.
“I would prefer that they weren’t here. As for their continuing to be alive… No. I’m not especially concerned with their survival.”
“They aren’t the ones killing humans,” objected Falling Leaf.
“Or so they claim,” said Sen with no give in his voice. “That’s an easy thing to say when we have no way to confirm it. All we have is their word, and their word has less than no value to me. These ones come from the same group that expected humanity to do all the bleeding just so they could swoop in and claim leadership when everything was done. Right?”
“Yes,” admitted Falling Leaf, her expression pensive.